THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 53 



ORCHIDE^ OF VICTORIA. 



By C. French, Govt. Botanist's Department. (Third Paper.) 



Sarcochilus (Brown.) 



Sepals and petals nearly equal, free, spreading, the lateral sepals 

 often more or less dilated at the base. Labellum articulate at the 

 end of the basal projection of the column without any spur at its 

 base, 3 lobed, the lateral lobes rather large. Column short, erect, 

 produced at the base. Anther terminal, lid like, Pollen masses 4, 

 in pairs. Leaves flat and often falcate, Racemes axillary. Bracts 

 small. 



1. Sarcochilus parvi^orus (Lindley.) A small but singular 

 epiphytal Orchid, found growing on small trees. The color of 

 flowers is creamy with yellow and reddish markings, which, in the 

 specimens I have seen, are somewhat indistinct. This species was 

 fnrmerly considered very rare in Victoria, when about the year 1866, 

 Mr. Taylor, of Messrs. Taylor and Sangster, found a few specimens 

 whilst looking for ferns in the deep gully of the Dandenong ranges. 

 I found two very small specimens adhering to a stunted plant of our 

 Native Musk tree, (Aster argophyllus,) some couple of years after- 

 wards, but I learn that it has lately been found in some quantity on 

 the Tarwin River, in Gippsland, a locality where I believe many 

 rare plants of both Ferns and Orchids still remain unearthed. As 

 this is the only epiphytal species likely to be met with by our 

 members, a lengthy description, other than the generic one given 

 above, will be I think unnecessary. The leaves of this species I 

 may mention grow to about 4 inches in length, and those who wish 

 to search for it, should look in the darkest and most remote parts 

 of the Fern gullies, more particularly on the upper brandies of 

 Musk and [N^ative Hazel, (Pomaderris). Sarcochilus Barklyanus^ 

 S. Gunni, and S. australis, are identical with this species. Found 

 in Victoi"ia, ISTew South Wales and Tasmania. Cultivation same 

 as smaller species of Dendrobium. 



This will conclude the list of the Epiphytal species, as far as I am 

 aware. The next in order is 



DiPODiuM (R, Brown.) 



Sepals and petals nearly equal, free, spreading, labellum sessile, 

 erect, column erect, semi-cylindi-ical, the membranous margin 

 variously sinuate or toothed, anther lid-like, pollen masses 2. 

 deeply lobed, or 4 in pairs, terrestrial, the leafy stems when present 

 simple with distichous leaA^es, racemes on long leafless scapes, or 

 long erect axillary peduncules, with sheathing scales at the base of 

 the scape, flowers purple, rather large, often spotted. 



1. Dipodium punctatum (R. Brown.) This is one of the most ' 

 beautiful of our native Orchids, as it is also one of (if not the 

 largest) of our Terrestrial species. In the Dandenong Ranges, 



